The present disclosure is related to a support apparatus for supporting a patient. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a bed that can be manipulated to achieve both a conventional bed position having a horizontal support surface and a chair position having the feet of the patient on or adjacent to the floor and the head and back of the patient supported above a seat formed by the bed.
It is known to provide beds that have a head siderail assembly coupled to a head portion of the support surface and a foot siderail assembly coupled to a seat portion of the support surface. The siderail assemblies may be movable independently of one another between a raised position and a lowered position. When the bed is in the conventional bed position, the siderail assemblies may be used in the raised position to retain patients resting on the support surface and in the lowered position to transfer patients from the bed to another support apparatus, allow a caregiver improved access to the patient, or to help with entering and exiting the bed.
It is also known that when the bed is in the chair position, the siderail assemblies may be used in the raised position to retain patients resting on the support surface or to provide support to patients as they adjust themselves while resting on the support surface. It is also known that the foot siderails may be moved to the lowered position after the bed has moved to the chair position because the foot siderails otherwise may interfere with the movement of the bed to the chair position.